Involvement of GPI-anchored lipid transfer proteins in the development of seed coats and pollen in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) constitute a large protein family specific for plants. Proteins from the family are found in all land plants but have not been identified in green algae. Their in vivo functions are still disputed although evidence is accumulating for a role of these proteins in cuticle development. In a previous study, we performed a co-expression analysis of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored nsLTPs (LTPGs), which suggested that these proteins are also involved in the accumulation of suberin and sporopollenin. Here, we follow up the previous co-expression study by characterizing the phenotypes of Arabidopsis thaliana lines with insertions in LTPG genes. The observed phenotypes include an inability to limit tetrazolium salt uptake in seeds, development of hair-like structures on seeds, altered pollen morphologies and decreased levels of ω-hydroxy fatty acids in seed coats. The observed phenotypes give further support for a role in suberin and sporopollenin biosynthesis or deposition in A. thaliana.